Water on Stone

Schal Bovis, a Chicago construction-services firm, has shown that Japan is not entirely a closed market. With more than a dozen major Japanese projects under its belt, it has broken through the scandal-ridden system to become the first U.S. company to be awarded a public-works contract there. Jeffrey A. Riemer, Schal Bovis' executive vice president, describes the firm's strategy as a blend of hiring insiders and a lot of water-on-stone methods. He notes the importance of staff who speak Japanese and understand the country, and the difficulties of the public-works selection process.